TOPIC:

A quick search of the National Archives of SA's online inventory, and the digitised records on Family Search yields three 'Walter Longs' (no middle names) and four more with middle names.

No Walter Emsley Long among them, but there was a Walter Long (b Stornaway, Scotland, 1876) who married Joie Mathieson Young (d 1964) in 1910.

There was a Walter Seymour Long (b Wiltshire 1881, d 1966), who was in the SAP and had risen to the rank of Chief Deputy Commissioner by 1944. He married Muriel Annie Bailey (1891-1944).

Although the National Archives have a file for Walter Long who died in 1968, Family Search doesn't appear to have any papers for him.

Thank you for your message, the Walter Long that you mention married to Joie Matheson Young is the correct Walter Long also the 1968 death record is correct - but he wasn't born in Stornaway on the Isle of Lewis - it was his wife - the 1910 marriage date is correct too

I believe the medal on the right is the police service medal awarded in 1924- inscription on the side reads No.2474 (F) Det. Constable W Long. The Victoria medal reads 1705 TPR W Long SAC

AMASTERTON wrote: I believe the medal on the right is the police service medal awarded in 1924- inscription on the side reads No.2474 (F) Det. Constable W Long. The Victoria medal reads 1705 TPR W Long SAC

Correct. It's the first type (English and Dutch wording) of the Police Good Service Medal, which was introduced in 1923. The qualification was 18 years service in the ranks. 2474 is in the block of numbers allocated to constables in the Transvaal Division of the SAP, when it was established in 1913. (F) indicates that he was a foot constable, as distinct from a mounted one.

The SA Constabulary continued after the ABW, as an official force for the two 'new colonies', i.e. the former republics. As it was an imperial force, not a colonial one, it was disbanded when the two colonies became self-governing in 1907. Perhaps Walter Long was in one of the SAC's Transvaal divisions, and transferred to the new Transvaal Police, from which he was embodied in the SAP in 1913.